Surprise Bundesliga toppers keep momentum

Hamburg, Oct 30 (DPA) Stunning football team TSG Hoffenheim claimed a 3-1 comeback victory at VfL Bochum to retain the Bundesliga lead in the midweek round.Demba Ba, Vedad Ibisevic (penalty) and Carlos Eduardo Wednesday scored within six minutes to reverse Bochum’s early lead from Dennis Grote. Bochum’s agony was complete when Christoph Dabrowski was sent off.

Newly-promoted Hoffenheim top the bill with 22 points from Bayer Leverkusen (21), with SV Hamburg third on 20 from a 2-0 victory against VfB Stuttgart.

Champions Bayern Munich rose to fourth place with 18 points from their third straight win, a 2-1 comeback effort at Eintracht Frankfurt from Miroslav Klose and Franck Ribery.

Hoffenheim remained the toast of the league even though they were shocked just two minutes into the game in Bochum when Grote fired a low shot into the net from the edge of the area.

It took Hoffenheim until the 65th minute to level, from a neat back-heeler by Ba, and the visitors then went on the roll yet again to claim their fourth straight victory.

League top scorer Ibisevic raised his tally to 11 with a 70th-minute penalty after Grote had brought down Andreas Beck. Eduardo wrapped up matters just 60 seconds later and Bochum’s frustration showed when Dabrowski had to leave for a second bookable offence in the 76th.

“It took us a while to get into the game. But we have played quite well so far in the season and aim to keep going,” said Beck.

Munich also had to come from behind to beat Frankfurt, who were coming off their first two season wins and took a 55th-minute lead against the flow of play from an own goal by Martin Demichelis.

But Ribery fed Klose for the equaliser in the 63rd minute and the Frenchman got the winning volley in the 70th to sooth the nerves of coach Juergen Klinsmann.

“It was important to show a strong reaction after the own goal. We showed that we are a team which can attack,” said Munich midfielder Tim Borowski.

Former leaders Hamburg, meanwhile, recovered well from Sunday’s 3-0 loss in Hoffenheim.

Germany midfielder Poitr Triochowski opened the scoring with a 17th-minute penalty, Guy Demel was denied by the bar late in the first half but a deflected shot from Joris Mathijsen clinched Hamburg’s win in the 74th.

“It wasn’t our best game but the main thing is that we won,” said Hamburg sports director Dietmar Beiersdorfer.

Elsewhere, Hertha Berlin rose to fifth place from a 3-0 victory over Hanover 96 and Borussia Dortmund prevailed 1-0 in Cologne.